Turn MasterFormat, UniFormat, and OmniClass into a Living, Edition-Aligned
Engineering Workflow
Turn MasterFormat, UniFormat, and OmniClass into an edition-aligned engineering workflow that preserves design intent, supports commissioning, and documents performance with defensible clarity—from concept through facility operations.
Edition-aligned = the system knows which edition applies at each milestone and preserves change history without disrupting work in progress.
For Building Engineers
Our Platform
For mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, controls, and building-systems engineers, CSI Dynamic Standards keeps MasterFormat, UniFormat and OmniClass standards current and coordinated in the places you already work. Search CSI standard numbers and titles, move from high-level elements to detailed sections, and support pre-issue checks via integrations through enterprise solutions—so drawings and specs stay in step without retyping.
Six Engineering
Principles
Performance lives or dies in the details: misnumbered sections, "see specs" dead ends, Division 01 contradictions, and fuzzy commissioning/warranty terms burn time and credibility. You don't need another book; you need a way to keep numbers, titles and classifications, and acceptance criteria aligned across teams.
Performance protected, end-to-end
Carry design intent, test criteria, TAB, and commissioning requirements coherently from Basis of Design to final sign-off—reducing rework and change exposure.
Contract harmony across the "three generals"
Keep Division 01, AIA A201, and each section's Part 1—General aligned to lower disputes and claims risk.
Cross-discipline continuity
Use the same, current MF titles and section numbers in drawings and specs—reducing "keynote used / section missing" issues and addenda churn.
Commissioning & closeout control
Surface sequences of operation, startup, functional testing, and warranties early—and carry them through to O&M for owner-ready turnover.
Lifecycle traceability
Edition awareness and OmniClass® tagging create a defensible record of what was specified, when it changed, and how it maps to assets and FM systems.
Clear ROI
Hours saved at milestones—and a single avoided RFI or re-bid—can cover months of per-seat cost.
What You'll Be Able
To Do
operations, engineer with confidence.
Program & Plan — Performance intent with momentum
Capture OPR/Basis of Design against UniFormat elements (e.g., HVAC systems, electrical distribution, fire suppression) and trace decisions forward
Use governed relationships to surface likely MasterFormat® sections (e.g., 23 05 00, 23 09 00, 26 24 16). Identify commissioning scope early (e.g., 01 91 00)
Design & Document — Technical precision on demand
Insert consensus-based MasterFormat section numbers/titles for discipline sections and common MEP Part 1/2/3 structures. Maintain clear, edition-specific references to industry standards (e.g., ASHRAE, SMACNA, NFPA, UL) within the spec
Tag key equipment, assemblies, and spaces with OmniClass to improve downstream search and reuse
Construction Documents — Where errors get expensive
Run pre-issue checks (via integrations through enterprise solutions) to flag: TOC items with no authored section, keynotes with no matching section, obsolete numbers, and technical sections implying missing Division 01 requirements
Keep BIM/CAD keynotes synced to current MasterFormat lists
Construction Administration — Clarity beats conflict
Align submittals, factory startup, QA/QC, testing, and commissioning with Division 01 and each section's "Part 1—General"
Preserve milestone context for changes to sequences, setpoints, and acceptance criteria
Closeout & Operations — Proof the owner can use
Deliver TAB, FPTs, training, warranties, and O&M aligned to referenced sections; provide OmniClass-tagged assets for CAFM/CMMS-ready handoff and future maintenance
Common Questions
We have the PDF (or used the legacy web lookup).
Earlier single-user PDFs were sold and the old web lookup existed, but neither provides crosswalks, pre-issue validation, tool integrations, or edition/milestone context. The value is preventing errors before they cost you—capabilities a static file or legacy lookup can't deliver.
Another tool to manage?
CDS works alongside where you already engineer and removes steps—TOC creation, keynote checks, Division 01 alignment—rather than adding new ones.
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